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Police search for assailants in Waterbury homicide Victim, 47, was doorman at card game in North End BY JONATHAN SHUGARTS REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

Police say this building at 848 North Main St. in Waterbury turned into a homicide scene when two assailants robbed people playing a card game Monday night. A man who confronted the men at the door to the building was shot, and the players were robbed of cash. The shooting victim, who later died, has not been identified. Police are continuing to investigate. Anyone with information about the slaying is asked to call the confidential Crime Stoppers tip line at 203-755-1234. Cash rewards are offered for information that leads to an arrest. Jonathan Shugarts/RA

WATERBURY -- A card game inside a building that once housed a grocery store ended with a homicide Monday evening when a man opened a door to the building for two assailants who gunned the man down and robbed the players.

Police have yet to identify the man who was slain, but he is believed to have lived in the city for several years. He may also have lived in New York and Massachusetts before moving to Waterbury. Neighborhood residents knew him only as "Chuck."

The robbery happened in a high-crime neighborhood that has been the scene of frequent arrests for illegal drugs and weapons. Last year, an armed assailant robbed a card game that was only a short distance from the scene of Tuesday's robbery and homicide.

Capt. Christopher Corbett, a police spokesman, said the 47-year-old man was shot by one of two intruders who barged into a building at 848 North Main St. at about 11 p.m. The building once housed the Mendez Grocery store, but now appears vacant except for a sign in a lower window stating "One to a Million."

Police say a group of about a dozen people was playing a card game for cash when two men held the place up. A man who was near one of two doors to the front of the building was shot in the chest when he confronted the men as they made their way inside, Corbett said.

The assailants then robbed the group of cash and fled without causing any further injuries, police said.

The wounded man was taken to Saint Mary's Hospital, where he died at about 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.

The two robbers are believed to be 25 to 30 years old. Both were described as being of medium height and build and were wearing dark-colored sweatshirts.

Corbett said the main focus of the investigation is to find and arrest the two suspects, but other activities, including the game itself, may be reviewed as part of the case.

A neighbor in the building said Tuesday he heard chairs banging, but didn't hear a shot. That neighbor said the card game can grow to include as many as 30 people some nights.

A single, unlit candle was left in front of the building on Tuesday morning, but the memorial had grown to include several that flickered in the afternoon snow.

The scene of Monday's homicide is near the spot of the 2011 robbery of a "Sportsman's Club" on North Main Street where several people were playing poker and shooting craps.

Paul Kinion, a felon with a lengthy record, held up the players, but was arrested shortly after that robbery. He's now serving a five-year prison sentence.

Anyone with information about the slaying is asked to call the confidential Crime Stoppers hotline at 203-755-1234. Cash rewards are offered for information that leads to an arrest.

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Ramita wrote on Nov 28, 2012 4:47 AM:

" Putting a new school on this road won't change the junk that run the streets over there. I'm sure these 2 men were from around that end. They new what was going down in that club. They probably even grew up in the neighborhood. If I knew these killers I would be ashamed of myself for known them. Dirt of the street, broke as can be cause they don't wanna get a real job, they'd rather ROB and shoot. They shoot because that don't know how to use their fist. They are punks not real men. "

" whats worse is the morons who frequent those locations right there that park half on the sidewalk half on the street and make it impossible to get down the right hand side of the lane and a half that is there to get to the right turn lane at the end.... so one person needs to go left and the entire intersection gets backed up all the way to the church... "

" soooo glad i moved OUT of WTBY this summer & down to beautiful NC...... i hated driving through that intersection to get to the other side of town, #trash (which was always on the ground out there btw) "

" I would venture that the "Things" involved in this crime are no strangers to the Court System.The problem here in CT.is we have a spineless Legislature that won't enact Laws that would but these Maggots away for Life or better yet "Old Sparky" would offer a permanent solution.It appears that violent crime is on the rise in Waterbury and swift action is needed .The Three Strikes Law for violent Felonies is a place to start and as far as costs go if you are sentenced to Life without parole ship these Monsters off to a Foreign land that will house them at a fraction of the cost. "

" Amazingly, it wasn't too long ago that two individuals robbed a local store just before the hurricane hit this vacinity. Could this be the same two degenerates? WPD should consider this as a possibility. That entire block should be leveled. It's nothing but a disgusting eyesore, that breeds crime. It's a shame that the good people who live in that area, and there are probably quite a few, have to look out their windows to a view of these decrepit buildings. Not to mention the children. The leaches that committed this crime have no morals and prey on the perfect opportunity to strike. Unfortunately, our lives have been changed considerably by this type of venom. Trying to remember there truly are good people in this world as well. They will meet their maker some day. "

" Actually, that intersection used to be a lot worse back in the 80s. Specially when that night club on East Farm near the intersection was open. I remember being afraid to get shot or mugged while waiting for the traffic light back then.I still try to avoid driving by it even today. "

" Are you serious? A human being lost his life and all you folks talk about is the traffic congestion? Regardless of how you feel about the neighborhood it does not change the fact that a person was killed. Slandering the residents and complaining about traffic does nothing to help. If you live our lived in this city then you know that murder happens every where, not just in this area.I hope they catch the criminals who did this and they get put away for a very long time. My condolences to the family of the victim. "

" RE: SMH what are you talking about ? Slandering? The Bottom Feeding Scum that frequent these establishments?The point is the patrons of these gambling dens are useless members of Society that could care less about Human safety and leave their cars illegally parked. A life was lost, please respond with any information that will show that this individual was a contributing member of Society, if not I will assume he was a Blood Sucking Vulture that just lightened the load. "

" A doorman?? Don't get me wrong, I have complete sympathy for this individual and his family, but this suggests to me that this person was used as a lookout. It also suggests that maybe something not so legal was happening behind those closed doors. We all know what happens to the lookout - he gets it first. He probably knew that what he was doing wasn't so safe, but he gambled with his life. No pun intended. Regardless of what the case may be, there is no value for life anymore, and those thugs were prepared to take a life before they even got there. Justice will be served when they are caught and pay for their offenses. Maybe not in this life, but in the next. "

" This story reminded me of an article about how there was talk about remodeling the green. How is it that the city has the money to remodel the green but not clean up these dumpy neighborhoods?? I just visited the green and its fine. Loaded with toothless degenerates asking for change, but not in need of a makeover. Spend the money on cleaning up the city. Make the city a place people can appreciate and kids can play safely. Forget the green. Time to take out the trash!!!! I feel bad for the family of this victim. Nobody deserves to have their life taken from them this way. There are innocent people that live in these neighborhoods that are just trying to live where they can afford to live and should not be subjected to violence because of it. But the city wants to make over the green, makes no sense to me. "

" I have spoken about this area on a number of occasions to the old mayor, the BOA, the current mayor (when he was the Chief of Police and the new Chief of Police in hopes of some sort of action, but not to much has been done.....maybe its TIME to take a BETTER look at this niegborhood before that 10 unit apt. complex that will be built right across the street from the murder scenceisbuilt....how can the city leaders have famiies with young children reside in such close proximity to all nite clubs/after hr. joints etc.....Im not grandstanding for a selfish cause, i speak for many in this area....black, latinos etc....we DESERVE Quality of Life just like the BETTER niegborhoods have.....NOT bullets whizzing by ! To the family of the decease, i am very sorry for your lost , no one deserves to died scenslessly, very tragic! "

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